Health_and_Fitness

Nutrition and Fitness Team D: Kim Correa, Anna Foster, Tamonika Harvey, Gregory Randazza University of Phoenix Nutrition and Fitness We are going to use a certain example citizen and let’s call him Pete. Pete is a male in his late 40’s. He is in management and is the sole provider for his wife and 3 children. Pete works between 50-60 hours per week. Although Pete may look somewhat like he is physically fit, his latest physical showed him having slight hypertension along with high cholesterol. Pete has not exercised since his college years and his eating habits are not the greatest. His daily routine consists of getting up at 7:00 am, taking a shower followed by getting dressed for work. Pete then goes down into the kitchen where he slurps down a cup of coffee with cream and sugar and eats a cheese danish along with it. He has been overloaded at work lately and must take some work home with him which explains him being awake late at night. Continuing on with Pete’s day he is jammed packed at work with piles of papers on his desk. Naturally, Pete is too busy for a healthy lunch so he stuffs down a slice of pizza in which his co-workers chipped in to buy with him. About 5:30 pm Pete finally leaves his office to meet with a client at a local restaurant. Here is where he has two or three alcoholic beverages along with his Fettuccini Alfredo dinner. Pete arrives home around 8:00 pm just in time to kiss his kids good night and spend a brief moment with his wife in whom she tells him about her and the kid’s day. On weekends Pete shuffles his wife and three kids around from the soccer field to the baseball field and possibly to the Hallmark store to get a card for their nephew’s 3:00 pm birthday party. Do you need to know more reasons why Pete was diagnosed with moderate hypertension and high cholesterol' Living this unhealthy and stressful lifestyle Pete is headed down a path of many possible health risks including being overweight or obese. Obesity is said to double the mortality rate and reduce life expectancy by 10-20 years. Obesity is associated with unhealthy cholesterol and triglycerides in which Pete was diagnosed with. A major health risk associated with obesity would be diabetes. In the text, Core Concepts of Health (Insel & Roth), it states that there is a strong association between excess body fat and diabetes mellitus, a disease that causes disruption of normal metabolism. The text goes on to say that subjects in their fifties even slightly overweight were up to 40% more likely to die within the next decade. But it is also important to realize that small weight losses 5-10% of total body weight can lead to significant health improvements. Here are some fitness and nutritional habits that Pete may consider to incorporate in his lifestyle. The first fitness habit Pete could consider; is something most any one can do. This exercise would consist of, taking a brisk walk in the evening after dinner. The benefits of walking are endless. Walking not only speeds metabolism, it is a low-impact activity. It does not require a person to be in top physical shape. Brisk walking is an easy exercise for beginners and does not place tension on an individual’s body, as other exercises could. Walking is also a stress reliever. Taking walks on a regular basis, around two to three times during the week, can lower cholesterol and rapidly reduce hypertension. How much does it help to take the stairs rather than ride the escalator or elevator' A 140-pound person will burn about 4 more calories per minute compared to standing and riding (Bumgardener, 2007). This is why the second option to be implemented into Pete’s busy life style, would be taking the stairs at work. Not only does talking the stairs start the process of melting fat, it is an easy way to burn calories at work. Taking the stairs also improves lung capacity and is a good, easy, cardiovascular work out that improves endurance. This is why many athletes incorporate stair climbing into their work outs. The third fitness habit Pete should inquire about would be playing basketball during a slow week night with friends. Basketball is an aerobic exercise and helps with flexibility, speed, power, strength and endurance. Basketball is a sport played by many; however this sport can also be played alone. Basketball allows an individual to burn a tremendous amount of calories, approximately 630 to 750 per hour. This sport helps strengthen muscles and coordination. Basketball in addition helps with self discipline, concentration and it acts as a team building activity. Three nutritional habits that Pete can incorporate into his lifestyle could be to first cut down the intake of sodium in his diet. Consuming large amounts of sodium in ones diet can create high blood pressure of hypertension. Secondly, Pete should start to read the labels on all the foods before he prepares them to eat. Foods that are high in cholesterol must try to be eliminated from his diet since he was diagnosed with high cholesterol. High cholesterol should be taken seriously as this is shown to create heart disease. Lastly, and probably one of the best nutritional habits Pete can reasonably incorporate into his diet would be to increase his consumption of water. Water is shown in many health experts’ studies to help the body in many positive ways. Water is said to flush the system of the body and to help keep the elasticity in the human skin. Following these three new nutritional habits Pete should get better results next time he sees his doctor. Learning new health habits is very important if you want to have a have a healthy lifestyle. New health habits can help you stay within a healthy body fat mass. Since Pete is in his forties it is very important that he gets a check-up at the doctor first. After he gets an ok from the doctor he should start his new health habits. His new fitness habits help promotes healthy weight. It is important to exercise at least 30 minutes per day. Our citizen is going to walk every evening. Walking is cardio respiratory exercise, which burns calories. Climbing stairs builds muscular strength. Better muscular mass makes metabolism higher, which in turn helps you burn energy faster. This process helps you keep your weight at a healthy level. Climbing stairs for a short period of time can burn calories also. Playing basketball every Wednesday is considered physical fitness. Playing for fifteen to twenty minutes is a way to burn calories. Burning calories can help with weight lose' Our citizen Pete is going to drink lots of water. Drinking plenty of water is essential for weight reduction and daily function. Pete is going to reduce his intake of foods high in cholesterol. Endurance exercises, like walking, help control cholesterol. Exercise increases HDL and lowers LDL. A diet low in salt is a good start way to start. Sodium absorbs fluids. A decrease in sodium can help you lose weight because your body’s not holding on to the extra fluid. Pete can implement a very simple exercise program that will not only allow him to become healthier, but it will help him lose the weight on a gradual basis. Since Pete as not worked out since college, a light brisk walk will not only help him physically, it can boost him mentally. By doing this at least 2 times a week, it will give Pete the confidence he needs to keep doing it. Pete can also include a buddy; it could be a pet or a good friend. Sometimes by having another person who can walk with us helps to enhance relationships/friendships as well. This is a win/win adventure. Pete also needs to eat healthier foods because he has high cholesterol. Here are some of the food groups he can implement to help lower his cholesterol and eat healthier; (follow this regimen for a least a week and substitute with foods that are low in cholesterol) Examples: Monday – Breakfast (there are several choices to choose from) Bread – whole grain, English muffins, bagels Cereals – oats, multigrain, corn Cottage Cheese – (0% to 2% fat) use low fat, non fat or dry curd Egg whites (two whites can be a substituted for one whole egg or use cholesterol free egg substitutes. Monday – Lunch Have a leafy salad with chicken and use, salad dressing that are made with unsaturated oils that are fat free or low in fat. Have a snack bar that is made of granola, so that this will give you the energy you need to perform at work. Monday – Dinner Eat lean and well trimmed cuts of meat Beef, Pork or Lamb (broil or bake instead of frying), choose monounsaturated oils like olive oil, canola oil or peanut oil to cook with. These options listed can help you on your way to eating healthier. (http://www.health.com/health/library/mdp/0,,zp3105abc,00.html// As discussed above, implementing these six new habits in Pete’s life would be beneficial to his health in general. Trying to focus on and follow these guidelines set forth for him would create a balance of wellness in Pete’s life. These are the habits that Pete has to look forward to practicing. What might be yours' References Better Health Channel. (2009). Basketball Health Benefits. Retrieved October 16, 2009 from http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov Bumgardener, W. (2007). Walking Blog. Take the Stairs._Retrieved October 16, 2009 Exer-phys-club. (2007). Talking the Stairs and Weight Loss. Retrieved October 16, 2009, from http://www.exer-phys-club.com Food Choices to Lower Cholesterol, Last Updated: July 11, 2008 Author: Robin Parks, MS, Medical Review: E Gregory Thompson, MD – Internal Medicine, Robert A. Kloner, MD, PhD – Cardiology, 1995-2009 Healthwise, Incorporated, http://www.health.com/health/library/mdp/0,,zp3105abc,00.html Insel, P.M., & Roth, W.T. (2008). Core Concepts of Health (10th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill www.topendsports.com.(2009). Basketball. Fitness Test for Basketball.Retrieved October 16, 2009, from http://www.topendsports.com Weight Loss Wand, (2009). Benefits of Walking. Retrieved October 16, 2009, from http://www.weightlosswand.com